Top-performing and high-growth states began their educational transformation with higher performance standards for students and schools, for good reason. When states set low bars for teaching and learning, that is exactly what they will get in return: low achievement.
The good news is that in 2006, Michigan passed a comprehensive set of graduation requirements, known as the Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC), designed to make students’ high school experiences more rigorous and to better prepare Michigan students for post-secondary success. Crafted with noble intentions, the MMC implementation faced many challenges .
Despite legislative changes to roll back the curriculum and a lack of state support and leadership on implementation, research has found that, under the MMC, students took and passed more mathematics coursework. Additionally, more well-prepared students enrolled in college at higher rates after high school.
Michigan has the opportunity to double down on the foundational beliefs of the MMC: all students should have full access to rigorous coursework that prepares them well for college and career opportunities not only in the immediate term but for their lifetimes.
The Education Trust-Midwest will continue our efforts to ensure full access to rigorous coursework and preparation for all Michigan students.
Meeting student needs through COVID-19 and business leaders call for funding equity
As Michigan takes steps to protect the health and well-being of students and the general public, we must also address both unique and preexisting inequities fa…
School closure & vulnerable students – Update from The Education Trust-Midwest
Dear friends and partners,What an unprecedented last week this has been - a time of rapid change for all of us. For those of us lucky enough to work from home,…
Education Trust-Midwest calls for a focus on educational equity during coronavirus school closures
ROYAL OAK, Mich. ― As Michigan families and educators adapt to the challenges of continuing the education of children during school closures, The Education Tru…
Educational Equity & Coronavirus
The State of Michigan is taking important steps to protect the health and wellbeing of students and the general public during the coronavirus pandemic. While w…
Bosch Community Fund Supports Teaching and Learning through a Grant to ETM
ROYAL OAK, Mich. (October 3, 2018) – Support from the Bosch Community Fund will help improve the quality of teaching and learning in Michigan schools. The two-…
Mich. Ed. Update – July 3
Over the course of the summer, updates from The Education Trust-Midwest will be distributed on the first Tuesday of each month.Weekly updates will resume on Se…
Mich. Ed. Update – May 1
School Safety Package Advances A little over two months after the tragic shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the Michigan legislatur…
Mich. Ed. Update – March 20
Leveraging the Power of Data for Strategic Learning and ImprovementThe following excerpt is taken from a March 20 blog post written by Mary Grech. Click here f…
Mich. Ed. Roundup – March 6
Top-Ten for Education: Not By ChanceFor the first time in the state’s history, Michigan public schools are able to compare their performance in some subjects t…
High-poverty schools in Grand Rapids and Wyoming, Mich., are showing dramatic improvements in student achievement.
Schools are focus of efforts to adopt strategies shown to work in leading education states.March 6, 2018 (ROYAL OAK, Mich.) – A focused effort to improve stude…
Open Your Eyes
I was asked to share my thoughts on how I'm making history. Specifically, I was asked to share a story/perspective I spoke about with a group of educators and…
Mich. Ed. Roundup – Feb 27
Waking UpAs a part of on our ongoing celebration of Black History Month, Michigan parent Crystal Humphries contributed her thoughts on the importance of includ…
Waking Up
The day that I ended my career as a teacher, I woke up as a parent.I was in my 15th year of teaching, had reached my career high and then I quit. The money wa…
Mich. Ed. Update – Feb 20
Perspectives & Reflections from Latino TeachersAmerica is experiencing a diverse, cultural shift and the teacher workforce is lagging behind: while Latino …
Making Change and Closing Gaps
February is Black History Month — an annual celebration of the contributions and achievements of black Americans and a time to recognize the central role Afric…
Adjusting, Overcoming and Soaring
For young adults, high school is a time where they begin to learn who they truly are. At the beginning, it feels like just another promotion into the next grad…
Mich. Ed. Roundup – Dec 20
Working to improve Michigan's schoolsWe know one thing we have in common with our newsletter readers: we’re all passionate about improving Michigan’s public sc…
Mich. Ed. Roundup – November 14
Take Action! Oppose Test ChangesOver the past few weeks, hundreds of letters have been sent to State Superintendent Brian Whiston and Governor Rick Snyder, opp…
Dream. Never stop Dreaming.
by Jose Luis Orozco, Jr.Community School Coordinator Supervisor, Kent School Services NetworkAs a high school counselor, there is no prouder moment than when y…
Standing with our DREAMers
This week, as millions of American students headed back to school, hundreds of thousands of young people – the “DREAMers” – learned the Trump administration wo…
